MELBOURNE, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Extreme weather is increasingly threatening seal pups and seabird chicks during critical early life stages, according to new research in southeast Australia.
The study, analyzing long-term data from 14 colonies across Australia's island state of Tasmania and Bass Strait, found heatwaves, heavy rain and storm surges are reducing breeding success in Australian fur seals, short-tailed shearwaters and shy albatross, according to a release from the University of Tasmania (UTAS) on Monday.
"This matters because these species only raise one pup or chick each year, so repeated breeding failures can put a colony or population's long-term health at risk," the release said.
Researchers identified species-specific "windows of vulnerability" when young animals are most at risk. For Australian fur seals, storm-driven waves during the summer pupping season can wash newborn pups into the sea before they can swim. Low-lying colonies were particularly exposed.
Heavy rain flooded seabird burrows and nests, drowning shearwater chicks and eggs, while extreme heat and rain affected shy albatross colonies differently by location, with heat stress, hypothermia and wave-driven nest loss recorded, said the study published in Science Advances.
The UTAS-led study called for targeted measures, including habitat restoration, artificial nests and improved weather monitoring, with forecast-based actions like misting nests during heatwaves to protect chicks.
The researchers warned that as climate change intensifies extreme weather, understanding when and where species are most at risk will be critical for conservation planning. ■
